Below are no fewer than SIX quarterbacks to which I've given either "1st round" or "borderline 1st" grades.

Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech

Matt Barkley, USC

Tyler Bray, Tennessee (relatively unlikely he declares)

Aaron Murray, Georgia (relatively unlikely he declares)

Landry Jones, Oklahoma

Now it should be noted: with the rookie wage scale, it's preferable for QB prospects to just get into the pros whenever they can, rather than biding their time and trying to compete for a Top 5 selection. The Top 5 used to mean you were in a top 10% earner in the NFL. Now it doesn't mean much over somebody like Tannehill's #8 spot, financially.

6 teams that will need a QB. Maybe eight if you buy the idea that the Cowboys or Eagles could be shopping for a new one.

So assuming at least half of those QBs declare, which is a relatively conservative bet, my prediction is that the Chiefs will be drafting a new quarterback in 2013. Even if it means having to trade up for one.

The Cardinals also went past their 'easy dump' point in the Kolb contract, didn't they? They have some built in bonuses that make him much harder to cut now, IIRC.

They could still draft another QB due to how cheap they are now, but it wouldn't surprise me if they move QB down their priority list due to how much they have invested in Kolb and how tough it would be to free themselves of him.

It should be a nice year if you need a QB. But the Chiefs will still screw it up somehow.

I only saw 2 games he played in, one of them being the Alamo Bowl where he went blow-for-blow with RG3. Unfortunately, Price'll be a junior this year, so he'd have to have a great season to declare (theoretically).

The Cardinals also went past their 'easy dump' point in the Kolb contract, didn't they? They have some built in bonuses that make him much harder to cut now, IIRC.

They could still draft another QB due to how cheap they are now, but it wouldn't surprise me if they move QB down their priority list due to how much they have invested in Kolb and how tough it would be to free themselves of him.

It should be a nice year if you need a QB. But the Chiefs will still screw it up somehow.

Smith's production was actually very similar to RGIII's penultimate year. With increased competition, another year to improve on his 4300 yards 31 TDs and 7 INTs (those are SCARY good numbers, like, mid-air scary), I see Smith being a lot like RGIII. Talked about as a 1st round pick finally by midseason, PROJECTED as a first round pick at the end of the college season, and by the end of January, assumed to be a top 5 pick in the entire draft.

Lets see what Geno Smith does against some not completely terrible "Big East" Defenses before we get worked up.

ive conceded that will never draft a qb in the 1st round, it just isnt gonna happen

Mr. First Round right here:

Oh, that's right...we have to draft one ourselves, thus the near homo-erotic fascination with projects like Jimmy Clausen and Ryan Tannehill.

Some people have short memories. Quinn was one of the best QB prospects that has come out recently, and simply hasn't been given an honest chance. Rookie in 2007. Broke a finger in 2008 and was out for the season. 2009 Mangini wanted Derek Anderson as his QB (and we all know how that worked out for both guys). He's only played 14 games in his pro career and it's mainly been because of dipshit coaches/bad situations (Tebow Mania).

You guys forget how good this guy was in college:

Quote:

...(Quinn) set 36 Fighting Irish records during his four seasons with the team. There were ten career records, twelve single-season records, four single-game records and ten miscellaneous records broken by Quinn throughout those four years, including the record for career pass attempts with 1,602; completions with 929; yards-per-game with 239.6; touchdown passes with 95, and the Irish's lowest interception percentage with 2.43. Quinn won 29 games as a starter at Notre Dame, tied for the most in school history.

That's the guy you draft in the first round as a QB. Experienced from a pro system, productive, hard worker, prototype size, etc.

He knows Crennel and Daboll's system. If Pioli is actually interested in winning games instead of continuing to support his (poor) decision in trading for Matt Cassel to be the starter, then Quinn should have every chance/probability of getting the job.